Buckeye

Business booms during the post-war years. Cal suggests to Roman that the hardware store begin selling appliances, and their profits skyrocket. Becky’s spiritualist practice continues to do well, and she feels an increasing sense of confidence as the years pass.

Felix struggles at work and is demoted, and Margaret often feels as though he is just going through the motions of being a family. She enjoys her current job teaching dance, but life at home is fraught. Tom is a difficult, temperamental child, and Margaret is often angry with him. They bicker and argue even though his teachers find him sweet and docile.

One night, Margaret notices a cowlick in his hair that exactly matches Cal’s and feels that the mystery of his parentage has been solved. She wishes, for everyone’s sake, that Tom were Felix’s child.

When Felix gets fired, Margaret confronts him about his emotional state. She points out that he is always distracted, sleeps little, and shows no interest in normal activities. She suggests that he see a psychiatrist. He tells her that he will get another job and that nothing is wrong with him. That night, when they go to bed, Margaret asks if he is attracted to her.